THE  AMERICAN 
BAPTIST  MISSIONARY 

UNION 

« 

Studies  in  Missions 

OUR  BAPTIST 
MISSIONARY  SOCIETIES 
(FOREIGN). 

•M- 


...Published  by... 

THE  AMERICAN* BAPTIST  MISSIONARY  UNION, 
Tremont  Temple,  Boston. 


STUDIES  IN  MISSIONS 


The  Conquest  Missionary  Course  is  a  series  of  studies  in  missions 
which  presents  in  fonr  years  a  summary  view  of  the  work,  at  home  and 
Canada,  of  our  Baptist  Missionary  Societies  of  the  United  States  and 
Canada.  It  will  include  the  varied  work  carried  on  by  our  Women’s 
Societies  as  well  as  by  the  general  organizations.  The  studies  are  pre¬ 
pared  primarily  for  use  by  our  Young  People’s  Societies  in  their  Conquest 
Missionary  Meeting.  They  will  prove  equally  helpful  for  missionary 
meetings  of  any  kind. 

The  price  of  these  leaflets  is  3  cents  each,  25  cents  per  year ;  in  orders 
of  ten  or  more  to  one  address,  214  cents  each  per  month,  20  cents  per 
year.  Published  monthly  by  the 

Baptist  Young  People’s  Union  of  Amebica, 

324  Dearborn  St.,  Chicago,  ILL. 


LITERATURE  FOR  REFERENCE  IN  THE  MONTH’S  STUDY. 


“The  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union”,  five  cents;  “Origin  of  the 
American  Baptist  Missionary  Union”,  three  cents,  (a  limited  number  only 
of  this  pamphlet:  can  be  had  as  long  as  thmgupply  holds  out) ;  “Hand¬ 
book  :  God  With  us”,  free.  (American  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  Tremont 
Temple,  Boston,  Mass.) 

“Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board,  S.  B.  C.”,  “The  For¬ 
eign  Mission  Board,  Its  Administration  and  Policy”,  “Plain  Questions  Ans¬ 
wered  as  to  the  Foreign  Mission  Work”,  two  cents  each .  (Baptist  Mis¬ 
sion  Rooms,  304  N.  Howard  St.  Baltimore,  Md.)  Leaflets  on  work  of 
Foreign  Mission  Board,  S.  B.  C.,  free,  (send  stamp  for  postage).  (R.  J. 
Willingham,  D.  D.,  Richmond,  Ya.) 

“Historical  Sketch  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Enterprise  of  the  Bap¬ 
tists  of  the  Maritime  Provinces”,  three  cents.  (Rev.  J.  W.  Manning,  St. 
John,  N .  B.) 

Do  not  send  to  B.  Y.  P.  U.  A.  Headiuarters  for  any  of  this  literature. 
Send  direct  to  addresses  given,  and  enclose  money  with  order. 


Conquest  Missionary  Course. 


OUR  BAPTIST  MISSIONARY  SOCIETIES  (FOREIGN). 

(February  Topic.) 


I.  A  Story  of  Beginnings. 


Preparation. 

The  last  decade  of  the  eighteenth  century  and  the  opening 
years  of  the  nineteenth  were  marked  by  a  gracious  quickening 
of  the  missionary  spirit  in  the  churches.  The  foundations  of 
great  Societies  were  laid.  The  English  Baptist  Missionary 
Society,  organized  at  Kettering,  October  2nd,  1792,  heads  the  list 
in  the  new  movement.  Others  followed  in  quick  succession. 
Before  the  dawn  of  the  present  century,  there  were  six  new 
Societies  in  operation,  with  headquarters  in  England,  Scotland 
and  Holland.  The  awakening  was  not  confined  to  these  coun¬ 
tries.  The  echoes  of  Carey’s  bugle-call:  “Expect  great  things 
from  God;  attempt  great  things  for  God”,  sounded  across  the 
seas.  One  year  after  the  formation  of  the  English  Baptist 
Missionary  Society,  Rev.  William  Staughton,  a  Baptist  minister, 
born  in  Coventry,  England,  who  was  present  at  the  historic 
meeting  in  Kettering,  emigrated  to  America,  During  his  resi¬ 
dence  in  this  country,  he  carried  on  correspondence  with  Fuller, 
Ryland  and  other  pioneers  in  the  missionary  movement. 
He  lost  no  opportunity  of  imparting  to  others  the  inspira¬ 
tion  which  filled  his  own  soul.  Interest  in  this  new  movement 
was  further  stimulated  by  visits  from  missionaries.  The  East 
India  Company  carried  its  opposition  to  the  missionary  enter¬ 
prise  so  far  as  to  prohibit  the  sailing  of  missionaries  on  its 
wessels.  Some  of  the  pioneer  workers  were  obliged  to  com© 
first  to  this  country,  and  then  to  set  sail  for  the  East  in 
American  ships.  Their  visits  were  occasions  of  great  inter- 

—3— 


est,  and  fanned  the  kindling  fires  of  missionary  zeal.  Contri¬ 
butions  for  the  work  of  Carey  and  his  colleagues  at  Serampore 
were  made  by  American  Christians.  As  early  as  1804  Female 
Mite  Societies  and  Cent  Societies  were  organized,  the  income 
of  some  of  them  being  donated  to  foreign  missions.  The  Mas¬ 
sachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Society  was  organized  in  1802, 
primarily  for  home  mission  purposes,  yet  foreign  mission  work 
did  not  lie  wholly  beyond  the  horizon  of  its  founders,  and  in 
the  magazine  which  they  published— The  Massachusetts  Bap¬ 
tist  Missionary  Magazine — were  letters  of  absorbing  interest 
from  Carey  and  Fuller  and  Ryland. 

As  yet,  indeed,  the  Baptists  of  America  had  not  come  to  a  con¬ 
sciousness  of  unity  or  of  power,  equal  to  the  task  of  projecting 
and  maintaining  a  separate  mission  to  the  heathen.  They 
were  few  in  number,  poor  in  resources,  and  scattered  along 
the  Atlantic  seaboard  from  Boston,  Mass.,  to  Charleston,  S.  C. 
They  were  just  emerging  from  stern  struggles  for  the  establish¬ 
ment  of  great  principles,  and  were  overshadowed  in  numbers 
and  influence  by  other  religious  bodies.  There  was  as  yet  but 
one  Baptist  educational  institution  in  the  land.  There  was  no 
general  Society  to  bind  the  churches  in  a  union  of  sympathy 
and  effort.  There  was  no  Baptist  periodical  of  any  sort  except 
The  Massachusetts  Baptist  Missionary  Magazine.  In  the 
providence  of  God  the  way  was  being  prepared  for  a  united  effort. 
In  the  year  1812  there  was  organized  the  “Salem  Bible  Trans¬ 
lation  and  Foreign  Missionary  Society”,  to  aid  in  the  transla¬ 
tion  of  the  Bible  then  being  made  by  Carey  and  his  co-labor¬ 
ers,  or,  “if  deemed  feasible,  to  assist  in  sending  a  missionary  or 
missionaries  from  this  country  to  India.”  This  was  the  first, 
strictly  foreign  mission  society  formed  by  the  Baptists  of 
America.  Events  were  steadily  moving  towards  an  unseen 
end.  Within  this  year — 1812 — occurred  an  event  which  caused 
the  stream  of  missionary  enthusiasm  and  beneficence  to  flow 
forth  as  the  touch  of  the  rod  of  Moses  brought  water  from  the 
rock  in  Horeb. 

Among  the  missionaries  who  went  out  in  1812  as  the  first 
representatives  of  the  newly  formed  “American  Board  of  Com¬ 
missioners  for  Foreign  Missions”  were  Adoniram  Judson,  with 
his  wife  Ann  Hasseltine.  and  Luther  Rice.  In  January,  1813. 
the  ship  Tartar  brought  to  Boston  the  news  that  during  their 

—4— 


long  sea  voyage,  these  missionaries,  as  a  result  of  special  and 
independent  study  of  the  New  Testament  teachings  concerning 
baptism,  had  embraced  Baptist  views  and  had  been  baptized 
in  Calcutta.  This  news  of  glad  surprise  flew  swiftly  over  the 
land.  The  situation  was  without  precedent.  The  mission¬ 
aries  in  the  far  East  had  by  their  action  severed  relation  with 
the  American  Board.  They  naturally  turned  to  the  Baptists 
of  America  for  help.  Writing  to  Rev.  Thomas  Baldwin,  D.D., 
a  Baptist  pastor  in  Boston,  Mr.  Judson  said:  “Should  there  be 
formed  a  Baptist  Society  for  the  support  of  a  mission  in 
these  parts,  I  should  be  ready  to  consider  myself  their  mission¬ 
ary.”  Such  an  appeal  could  not  be  resisted.  The  providence 
of  God  was  too  plain  to  be  misinterpreted.  Without  any  plan  - 
ning  of  their  own  God  had  thrust  upon  the  Baptists  of  the 
United  States  a  missionary  opportunity  and  obligation. 
God  called:  they  responded.  The  summons  sent  currents  of 
new  life  tingling  in  the  veins  of  the  denomination.  It  called 
out  latent  forces.  It  quickened  the  consciousness  of  a 
common  life. 

Organization. 

Missionary  societies  began  to  spring  up.  At  a  conference 
of  leading  Baptist  ministers  of  Massachusetts  in  the  house  of 
Dr.  Thomas  Baldwin,  there  was  formed  “The  Baptist  Society 
for  Propagating  the  Gospel  in  India  and  other  Foreign  Parts.” 
This  Society  at  once  assumed  the  support  of  Mr.  Judson, 
who,  in  the  meantime  had  established  an  independent  mission 
in  Rangoon.  Luther  Rice  returned  to  America  to  begin  a 
missionary  crusade.  Landing  in  September,  1814,  he  entered 
at  once  upon  his  campaign.  The  time  had  come  for  concerted 
action.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  Baptist  Association 
in  1813,  it  was  suggested  that  a  meeting  of  delegates  from  the 
several  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Societies  which  had  sprung 
into  being  be  called  at  Philadelphia  in  J une,  1814,  to  form  a 
general  committee  for  the  management  of  the  mission  in  India. 
This  proposal  met  with  favor.  The  meeting  was  held  May 
18th,  1814.  Thirty-three  delegates,  seven  of  them  laymen,  re¬ 
sponded  to  the  call.  They  came  from  eleven  different  states 
and  the  District  of  Columbia.  Some  of  them  had  travelled 
more  than  three  hundred  miles  by  carriage  to  attend  the  meet¬ 
ing.  They  were  men  of  light  and  leading,  whose  names  are 

—5— 


worthy  to  be  held  in  undying  remembrance.  The  convention: 
was  one  of  great  earnestness  and  spiritual  power.  On  the 
fourth  day,  May  21st,  1814,  a  constitution  was  adopted,  and 
the  Baptist  denomination  was  organized  for  the  work  of 
missions. 

The  Triennial  Convention. 

The  name  chosen  for  the  new  organization  was  “The 
General  Convention  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  in  the 
United  States  of  America  for  Foreign  Missions.”  Its  mem¬ 
bership  was  to  consist  of  delegates  from  Societies  which 
contributed  at  least  one  hundred  dollars  per  annum  to  the 
missionary  treasury.  A  board  of  twenty-one  commissioners 
was  elected  to  serve  for  three  years,  to  be  called  “The  Baptist 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  for  the  United  States”,  and  to  be 
charged  with  “the  executive  part  of  the  missionary  concern.” 
Rev.  Richard  Furman,  D.D.,  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  was  chosen 
president,  and  Rev.  Thomas  Baldwin,  D.D.,  of  Boston,  Mass.* 
secretary.  The  headquarters  of  the  Board  were  fixed  at  Phil¬ 
adelphia,  with  Rev.  William  Staughton,  D.D.,  as  correspond¬ 
ing  secretary,  and  Mr.  John  Cauldwell,  of  New  York,  as  treas¬ 
urer.  Rev.  Adoniram  Judson  and  Rev.  Luther  Rice  were 
formally  appointed  missionaries,  the  latter  being  instructed 
“to  continue  his  itinerant  services  in  these  United  States  for 
a  reasonable  time”,  for  the  quickening  of  interest  in  missions. 
In  view  of  the  difficulty  of  communication  between  different 
parts  of  the  country  it  was  deemed  advisable  that  the  Con¬ 
vention  should  meet  only  once  in  three  years;  hence  the  title 
by  which  it  came  to  be  commonly  known — “The  Triennial 
Convention.” 

Thus  by  a  direct  providential  call  were  the  Baptist  churches 
in  the  United  States  summoned  to  the  great  mission  enter¬ 
prise.  The  field  was  selected;  the  pioneers  were  on  the 
ground.  The  response  of  the  churches  to  the  Divine  call  drew 
them  together,  and  knit  them  in  bonds  of  fellowship  and  co¬ 
operation.  “In  fact,  the  enthusiasm  for  the  new  mission  mado 
the  scattered  and  separate  Baptists  of  America  a  denomina¬ 
tion.” 

In  the  earlier  years  of  the  Convention  the  scope  of  its  work 
was  not  definitely  fixed.  Its  methods  were  tentative.  At  its 
second  meeting,  its  constitution  was  so  altered  as  to  allow  tho 

—6— 


Board  “to  appropriate  a  portion  of  the  funds  to  domestic  mis¬ 
sionary  purposes.”  The  work  of  theological  and  higher  educa¬ 
tion  was  taken  under  its  wing.  It  was  a  time  of  beginnings. 
In  1826  the  Convention  decided  to  return  to  its  primary  work 
of  Foreign  Missions.  The  headquarters  of  the  Board  were 
transferred  to  Boston.  For  twenty  years  the  organization  of 
the  Convention  remained  substantially  without  change,  and  its 
work  was  canned  on  with  encouraging,  though  varying,  meas¬ 
ures  of  success. 

During  this  period  there  arose  in  the  country  at  large,  and 
among  Christian  people,  a  heated  discussion  of  the  question  of 
slavery  and  its  relations  to  Christianity.  The  general  Conven¬ 
tion  represented  the  Baptists  of  the  entire  country.  There 
were  pro-slavery  men,  and  anti-slavery  men,  and  non-commit¬ 
tal  men,  in  its  constituency.  The  question  could  not  be  evaded. 
It  was  only  a  matter  of  time  when  the  issue  would  be  clearly 
defined  and  the  forces  lined  on  each  side.  The  action  of  the 
Alabama  State  Convention  brought  the  question  to  an  issue. 
That  body,  at  a  meeting  held  in  Marion,  Ala.,  in  November, 

1844,  called  upon  the  acting  Board  for  a  “distinct  explicit 
avowal”,  as  to  the  rights  and  privileges  of  slave-holders  in  the 
Convention  and  in  its  appointments  to  service.  The  explicit 
reply  was  made.  The  Board,  while  recognizingtheequal  rights 
of  all  members  in  the  general  Convention,  claimed  for  itself 
the  right  under  the  constitution  to  pass  judgment  upon  candi¬ 
dates  and  make  appointments,  adding  frankly:  “If  any  one 
should  offer  himself  as  a  missionary,  having  slaves,  and  should 
insist  on  retaining  them  as  his  property,  we  could  not  appoint 
him.  One  thing  is  certain,  we  can  never  be  a  party  to  an 
agreement  which  would  imply  approbation  of  slavery.”  This 
definite  utterance  brought  the  Convention  to  a  parting  of  the 
ways.  The  Baptists  of  the  South  withdrew.  The  Southern 
Baptist  Convention  was  organized  in  Augusta,  May  8th-12th 

1845.  A  special  meeting  of  the  general  Convention  was  called 
in  New  York  in  November,  1845,  to  take  such  action  as  seemed 
necessary  under  the  changed  conditions.  At  the  final  meeting 
of  the  Convention  in  1846,  a  new  constitution  was  adopted,  and 
the  name  was  changed  to  “The  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union.” 


■7 — 


THE  QUIZ. 


What  spirit  marked  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  and  opening  of  the 
nineteenth  centuries? 

What  incidents  helped  to  kindle  that  spirit  in  America? 

What  was  the  condition  of  the  Baptists  of  America  at  this  time? 
What  society  was  organized  in  1812,  and  what  was  its  object? 

Tell  of  the  experience  of  the  Judsons  and  Luther  Rice,  and  its  effect 
upon  the  Baptists  of  America. 

What  society  first  assumed  the  support  of  Mr.  Judson? 

Whence  came  the  suggestion  for  concerted  action  in  missionary  work? 
Where  was  the  first  meeting  held?  What  delegates  were  present? 
What  was  the  new  society  named?  What  was  it  afterward  called? 
Tell  of  its  work. 

What  cause  of  disagreement  arose?  What  was  the  outcome  of  this? 


II.  The  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union. 

Since  1846  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  has 
been  the  recognized  channel  through  which  the  Baptists  of 
the  Northern  States  have  carried  bn  their  great  foreign  mis¬ 
sion  enterprises.  Its  headquarters  are  in  Tremont  Temple, 
Boston,  Mass. 

Membership. 

The  Union,  as  a  corporate  body,  is  composed  of  annual 
members  and  honorary  life  members,  with  all  its  missionaries 
during  their  term  of  service.  Any  one  may  become  an  honor¬ 
ary  life  member  by  the  payment  of  one  hundred  dollars  during 
one  financial  year.  Any  regular  Baptist  church  making  an 
offering  to  the  funds  of  the  Union  during  the  year  is  entitled 
to  appoint  one  annual  member,  with  an  additional  member  for 
every  hundred  dollars  above  the  first  hundred. 

Annual  Meeting. 

The  Union  holds  an  annual  meeting  in  the  latter  part  of 
May,  the  exact  date  being  fixed  upon  by  arrangements  with 
other  denominational  societies.  At  this  meeting  reports  of 
the  work  of  the  year  are  received,  the  general  officers  of  the 
Union — a  president,  two  vice-presidents  and  a  recording  sec¬ 
retary — elected,  and  necessary  business  transacted.  In  the  na¬ 
ture  of  the  case,  business  of  such  importance  and  variety  as  that 
of  the  Union  cannot  receive  the  necessary  attention  in  gather¬ 
ings  so  loosely  organized  as  are  our  Anniversary  meetings. 
To  provide  for  this,  there  is  elected  a 

—8— 


Board  of  Managers. 

This  is  composed  of  seventy-five  elected  members,  together 
with  the  general  officers  of  the  Union,  and  the  presidents  of 
the  four  Women's  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Societies  aux¬ 
iliary  to  the  Union,  and  three  members  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee.  This  Board  is  required  to  meet  annually.  The 
elected  members  must  include  ministers,  laymen  and  women, 
one-third  of  the  entire  number  to  be  elected  at  each  annual 
meeting  and  to  serve  for  three  years. 

The  Executive  Committee. 

The  Executive  Committee,  appointed  by  the  Board,  consists 
of  fifteen  persons,  ministers  and  laymen.  Two-thirds  of  the 
number  must  be  residents  of  Boston  or  vicinity.  Upon  this 
committee  falls  the  great  burden  of  the  interests  of  the  Union. 
They  are  charged  with  a  general  oversight  of  the  work,  both 
as  it  involves  questions  of  missionary  policy,  and  in  all  its  prac¬ 
tical  details  and  bearings.  This  means  a  large  draft  upon  the 
time  and  thought  of  busy  men.  All  this,  too,  is  done  with  no 
recompense  other  than  that  which  comes  from  the  thought 
of  helping  to  extend  our  Redeemer’s  kingdom. 

Corresponding  Secretaries. 

•a 

It  would  manifestly  be  impossible  for  pastors,  with  the  care 
of  churches  on  their  hands,  and  leading  business  men,  with 
great  financial  interests  depending  upon  them,  to  attend  to 
this  work  in  all  its  details.  This  is  entrusted  to  Correspond¬ 
ing  Secretaries,  who  devote  their  entire  time  to  the  study  and 
outworking  of  all  the  problems  which  arise,  and  who,  of 
course,  receive  a  salarv  for  the  same.  These  offices  are  filled 
by  men  of  high  standing  in  the  denomination.  By  a  mutual 
arrangement  one  of  the  secretaries  attends  to  the  work  on  the 
foreign  side,  the  other  on  the  home  side.  The  former  depart¬ 
ment  is  at  present  entrusted  to  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Barbour,  D.D., 
and  the  latter  to  Rev.  H.  C.  Mabie,  D.D.,  who  are  commonly 
spoken  of  respectively  as  Foreign  Secretary  and  Home 
Secretary. 

Editorial  Secretary. 

A  missionary  literature  is  a  necessary  adjunct  to  the  mis¬ 
sionary  enterprise.  The  facts  concerning  the  needs  of  heathen 
lands  and  the  progress  of  Christian  v/ork  in  them  need  to  be 

—  9  — 


as  widely  circulated  as  possible  in  order  to  quicken  interest. 
Leaflets  must  be  prepared  and  histories  of  the  several  fields 
compiled.  This  has  led  to  the  creation  of  another  office— that 
of  Editorial  Secretary.  This  is  filled  at  present  by  Rev.  E.  F. 
Merriam,  D.D.  The  organ  of  the  Union  is  The  Baptist  Mis¬ 
sionary  Magazine ,  now  in  its  eightieth  volume,  and  ninety- 
seventh  year,  and  improving  with  age.  It  is  the  oldest  Baptist 
periodical  in  America.  There  is  issued  also  every  month  a 
little  illustrated  four-page  paper,  The  Kingdom. 

Treasurer. 

Mission  work  costs.  It  means  money  as  well  as  service. 
The  men  and  women  who  stay  at  home  must  support  those 
who  go.  The  handling  of  this  money,  the  investment  of  per¬ 
manent  funds,  and  the  making  of  payments  call  for  the  ser¬ 
vices  of  a  Treasurer,  who  must  be  at  once  a  man  of  highest 
integrity,  and  of  sound  judgment  and  experience  in  financial 
matters.  For  many  years  this  office  has  been  filled  with 
painstaking  fidelity  by  Mr.  Elisha  P.  Coleman. 

District  Secretaries. 

It  has  been  found  necessary,  in  order  to  the  efficient  working 
of  the  home  field  for  the  support  of  missions,  to  appoint  secre¬ 
taries,  who  shall  look  after  the  interests  of  the  work  within 
given  districts.  They  are  not  mere  collectors  of  money.  Their 
great  business  is  that  of  giving  information  about  missions  an  d 
quickening  interest  in  missions.  It  may  seem  strange,  and  yet 
it  is  a  fact,  that  people  need  to  be  reminded  of  the  claims  of 
missions.  There  are  pastors,  even,  who  would  forget  to  take 
an  offering  in  their  churches,  or  to  inform  their  people  about 
missions,  unless  they  received  a  reminder.  At  present  there 
are  eight  of  these  District  Secretaries,  who,  in  turn,  are  aided  by 
a  large  number  of  Associational  Secretaries,  who  render  helpful 
voluntary  service. 

Young  People's  Department, 

Within  the  last  twenty  years  there  has  been  a  remarkable 
quickening  of  the  young  life  in  our  churches.  It  is  not  at  all 
strange  that  the  enterprise  of  missions  should  appeal  strongly 
to  the  warm  sympathies  of  the  young.  Our  missionary  socie¬ 
ties  have  not  been  slow  to  recognize  this.  Whatever  differ¬ 
ence  of  opinon  there  may  be  as  to  methods,  there  can  be  no 

-—10  — 


question  as  to  the  importance  of  enlisting  the  young  in  mis¬ 
sions.  It  has  seemed  wise  to  the  Missionary  Union  to  employ 
a  representative.  Miss  Ella  D.  McLaurin,  whose  time  is  de¬ 
voted  to  this  end. 

Mission  Fields. 

The  first  foreign  field  occupied  by  the  Baptists  of  the 
United  States  was  Burma,  and  the  efforts  of  the  first  mission¬ 
ary  were  directed  towards  the  Burmans.  But  the  spirit 
which  prompted  this  first  mission  could  not  be  confined  to 
one  people  or  to  one  land.  There  were  other  races  in  Burma 
that  needed  the  Gospel,  and  to  them  also  the  good  news  must 
be  carried.  Burma,  in  turn,  with  its  many  races,  was  but  a 
stepping  stone  to  regions  beyond.  To-day,  in  Asia,  the  Mis¬ 
sionary  Union  has  its  stations  and  men  in  Burma,  Siam,  As¬ 
sam,  China,  Japan,  and  on  the  western  side  of  the  Bay  of 
Bengal  in  India.  It  was  natural  that  attention  should  early 
be  directed  toward  the  Dark  Continent — Africa — and  though 
the  Missionary  Union  to-day  has  no  stations  in  the  original 
section  of  mission  work  in  that  land,  it  has  taken  up  work  on 
the  banks  of  the  Congo.  The  religious  condition  of  the  con¬ 
tinent  of  Europe  made  appeal,  too,  to  the  sympathies  of  our 
people.  The  sunny  land  of  Greece  was  the  first  European 
country  to  which  the  Union  turned,  but  before  a  mission  was 
established  there,  a  beginning  had  been  made  in  Prance  and 
Germany.  Prom  the  fire  kindled  in  Germany  sparks  flew  into 
the  lands  of  the  North, — Denmark,  Norway,  and  Sweden, — 
and  soon  leaped  into  flame.  Spain,  too,  was  included,  though 
but'  little  has  been  attempted  there.  To-day  the  Missionary 
Union  is  contributing  to  the  support  of  work  in  Prance,  Ger¬ 
many,  Spain,  Sweden,  Russia,  Finland,  Denmark,  and  Nor¬ 
way.  The  expenditures  in  these  European  fields  are,  however, 
but  slight,  amounting  for  the  year  ending  March  31st,  1899,  to 
only  $41,082.32. 

Varied  Work. 

The  primary  work  of  the  Union  is  the  preaching  of  the 
gospel.  The  conditions  under  which  this  work  is  carried  on 
make  it  complex  an<P  manifold.  There  are  houses  of  worship 
and  homes  for  the  missionaries  to  be  built.  The  Scriptures 
must  be  translated  into  the  tongue  of  the  people,  and  the  be¬ 
ginnings  of  a  Christian  literature  furnished.  In  some  cases 

—  11  — 


the  language  of  the  people  has  to  be  reduced  to  writing,  and 
books  of  the  most  elementary  character  issued  that  the  people 
may  learn  to  read.  For  economy  in  this  work  presses  are  in 
some  instances  established.  At  Rangoon  there  is  a  Baptist 
Mission  Press  which  employs  about  seventy -five  workmen 
Presses  are  at  work  on  a  small  scale  in  Burma,  in  Assam,  and 
among  the  Telugus.  The  work  of  education  is  closely  con¬ 
nected  with  that  of  evangelization.  Almost  from  the  beginning 
schools  were  established  at  the  principal  stations.  The  work 
has  developed  apace.  There  are  primary  schools  for  the  edu¬ 
cation  of  children  in  Christian  villages,  and  schools  of  higher 
grade  at  central  points.  At  a  few  places  high  schools  and  col¬ 
leges  have  been  established,  and  seminaries  for  the  training  of 
preachers.  An  extensive  work  of  colportage  is  carried  on,  and 
Bible  readers  are  employed,  who  go  from  house  to  house,  read¬ 
ing  the  Word  of  Life  to  the  people.  In  addition  to  this,  there 
is  the  beneficent  work  of  the  medical  missionary.  A  begin¬ 
ning,  too,  has  been  made  in  the  way  of  industrial  training. 
All  this  varied  work,  which  in  Christian  lands  would  be  fos¬ 
tered  and  sustained  by  a  number  of  societies  and  agencies,  falls 
within  the  province  of  the  Missionary  Union,  which  is  thus  a 
manifold  society  in  one. 

Missioyiary  Force. 

The  Union  employs  a  working  force,  exclusive  of  those  in 
European  fields,  of  459  missionaries.  Of  native  helpers  there 
are  280  ordained  preachers  and  994  unordained.  The  Gospel 
is  being  preached  by  these  in  more  than  thirty  languages  to 
844  native  churches,  and  at  1,524  out-stations.  The  number  of 
native  Bible  women  employed  is  239,  and  there  are  173  other 
native  helpers. 

Educational  Plant. 

There  are  seven  institutions  for  higher  education  under  the 
care  of  the  Union,  in  which  there  are  198  students  for  the  min¬ 
istry,  and  thirty-five  who  are  receiving  a  collegiate  education. 
There  are  thirty -eight  boarding  and  high  schools,  with  2,902 
pupils;  and  1330  schools  of  lower  grade,  with  an  enrollment 
of  nearly  30,000.  The  number  of  native  teachers  is  1,846,  The 
membership  of  the  Sunday-Schools  reaches  a  total  of  34,635. 
There  are  eight  periodicals  issued  in  various  languages. 

—  12  — 


Financial  Condition. 

From  1814,  the  date  of  the  first  meeting  of  the  Triennial 
Convention,  to  1817,  the  date  of  the  second  meeting,  the  re¬ 
ceipts  amounted  to.  $26,052.01,  an  average  of  $8,684  per  annum. 
Since  that  time  the  annual  income  has, with  occasional  ebbings, 
steadily  advanced,  until  for  the  fiscal  year  ending  March  31st, 
1899,  it  reached  a  total,  for  current  expenses  and  permanent 
funds,  of  $626,844.85.  The  annual  outlay,  according  to  the 
present  scale,  calls  for  an  income  of  about  a  half-million  dollars. 
Of  this  amount  about  three-fifths  comes  in  the  way  of  dona¬ 
tions  made  directly  to  the  treasury  by  churches  and  individ¬ 
uals.  The  balance  comes  from  legacies,  from  the  offerings  of 
Women’s  Societies — whose  history  will  form  a  separate  chapter 
in  our  studies — from  the  income  of  invested  funds,  and  from 
special  sources.  The  permanent  funds  of  the  Union,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  report  for  1898-99,  amount  to  $546,350.88.  In  addition 
to  these  funds,  the  Union  holds  in  trust  $271,647.14,  annuities 
upon  which  are  to  be  paid  to  the  donors  during  their  lives. 
At  their  death  the  principal,  or  the  income,  is  entirely  at  the 
disposal  of  the  Union.  The  credit  of  the  Union  is  of  the  high¬ 
est  order.  Its  drafts  pass  unquestioned  in  the  exchanges  of 
the  world.  The  only  feature  in  its  financial  condition  which 
causes  unrest  is  the  inadequate  response  of  the  members  of  our 
churches  for  the  growing  needs  of  the  work.  The  cry  has 
been:  ‘Retrench!  Retrench!’  while  the  needs  of  the  work  de¬ 
mand  expansion  and  advance.  The  process  of  retrenchment 
has  been  pursued  until  it  has  cut  to  the  quick,  and  can  be  car¬ 
ried  no  farther  without  the  absolute  sacrifice  of  sacred  and 
vital  interests. 

Expense  of  Administration. 

The  criticism  is  sometimes  made  that  the  expense  of  admin¬ 
istration  is  unduly  heavy.  This  criticism  comes  from  those 
who  have  not  taken  the  trouble  to  inform  themselves  of  the 
facts  in  the  case.  In  some  instances  it  is  simply  a  subterfuge 
behind  which  unwillingness  to  give  hides  itself.  There  are 
still  a  few  tvho  repeat  the  old  and  baseless  statement  that  it 
costs  a  dollar  to  send  a  dollar.  As  a  matter  of  fact  the  cost  of 
administration  is  only  10  per  cent,  so  that  out  of  every  dollar 
contributed,  ninety  cents  go  directly  to  the  distant  field. 
Moreover,  the  income  from  the  permanent  and  trust  funds  of 

—  13  — 


the  Society  and  receipts  from  legacies  are  more  than  sufficient 
to  cover  all  running  expenses,  so  that  there  is  a  true  sense  in 
which  it  may  be  said  that  all  the  donations  from  the  churches 
and  from  individuals  now  made  from  year  to  year,  go  directly 
to  the  field.  In  point  of  fact,  looking  at  the  matter  in  this  way, 
there  is  something  added  to  every  dollar  that  is  contributed. 

Gratifying  Results.. 

No  table  of  statistics  can  ever  sum  up  the  results  of  mis¬ 
sionary  work.  There  are  some  things  that  cannot  be  tabu¬ 
lated  or  even  computed.  The  estimate  of  missionary  values, 
which  is  based  upon  the  proportions  between  the  number  of 
converts  and  the  number  of  dollars  spent,  was  not  learned  in 
the  school  of  Christ.  It  belongs  to  the  arithmetic  of  earth,  and 
not  to  the  measurements  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Yet,  ac¬ 
cepting  this  lower  test,  there  is  a  magnificent  record  of  achieve¬ 
ment,  which  ought  to  fill  all  hearts  with  thanksgiving,  and  to 
fire  all  with  enthusiasm  of  new  devotion.  According  to  the 
report  for  the  year  ending  December  31st,  1893,  there  were  in 
the  native  churches,  under  the  care  of  the  Missionary  Union 
in  Asia  and  Africa,  100,189  communicants.  The  additions  on 
these  fields  during  that  period  were  4,873.  The  membership  in 
European  countries  in  which  the  Union  is  represented,  is  re¬ 
ported  as  105,117,  with  8,230  baptisms  during  the  past  year. 
There  is  one  fact  which  will  come  to  many  as  a  surprise.  Of 
the  844  native  churches  organized  in  Asia  and  Africa,  588  are 
entirely  self-supporting.  The  contributions  of  the  native 
churches  for  the  year  ending  December  31st,  1898,  amounted 
to  $41,683.  Of  this  amount  $4,743  were  contributed  to 
Home  and  Foreign  Missions.  Such  a  record  is  a  tribute  alike 
to  the  carefulness  and  thoroughness  of  the  work  of  the  mis¬ 
sionaries,  and  to  the  zeal  of  the  native  Christians. 

In  the  record  of  achievement,  so  far  as  this  can  be  meas¬ 
ured  in  figures,  the  Missionary  Union  stands  easily  first  in  the 
column.  Our  heriage  in  missions  is  a  rich  one.  We  occupy  a 
position  of  vantage  for  greater  achievement.  The  phenomenal 
success  of  our  work  gives  us  enlarged  opportunity  and  ought 
to  furnish  added  inspiration.  We  shall  prove  ourselves  un¬ 
worthy  of  our  lineage,  recreant  to  our  trust,  disloyal  to  our 
Master,  if  we  falter  and  give  way. 


14  — 


THE  QUIZ. 


Through  what  society  do  the  Baptists  of  the  northern  states  carry  on 
their  foreign  mission  work? 

Where  are  its  headquarters? 

Of  whom  is  the  membership  of  this  society  composed? 

When  are  the  annual  meetings  held? 

Who  compose  the  Board  of  Managers? 

Who  form  the  Executive  Committee,  and  what  are  their  duties? 
Upon  whom  do  the  details  of  the  work  devolve? 

Name  the  Foreign  Secretary.  The  Home  Secretary. 

Name  the  Editorial  Secretary  and  tell  of  his  work. 

What  publications  are  issued  by  this  society? 

Name  the  Treasurer. 

WThat  are  the  duties  of  the  District  Secretaries? 

How  many  District  Secretaries  are  there? 

Who  is  the  secretary  for  the  district  to  which  your  church  belongs? 
Name  the  Young  People’s  Secretary. 

How  many  and  what  countries  are  occupied  by  this  society? 

Tell  of  the  varied  work  of  the  society. 

How  many  missionaries  are  employed  in  Asia  and  Africa?  How  many 
native  helpers?  In  how  many  languages  do  they  preach? 

Tell  of  the  educational  work. 

WThat  were  the  receipts  of  the  Triennial  Convention  from  1814  to 
1817? 

What  was  the  income  of  the  Missionary  Union  for  the  year  ending 
March  31st,  1899? 

From  what  sources  is  this  income  derived? 

Tell  of  the  present  financial  condition  of  the  Union. 

Tell  something  of  the  expense  of  administration. 

Name  some  of  the  gratifying  results  of  the  work  of  the  Union. 


—  15  — 


THE  AMERICAN  BAPTIST  MISSIONARY  UNION. 

“The  people  that  walked  in  darkness  have  seen  a  great 
light ;  they  that  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  shadow  of  death , 
upon  them  hath  the  light  shined."— Isaah  IX,  2. 

ORGANIZED  MAY  14.  1814. 

A  vast,  many-fold,  world-wide  Christian  system,  embracing  the  following 

DEPARTMENTS. 

I.  Ei  angelistic-(l)  City;  (2)  Provincial;  (3)  National.  IT.  Church 
Extension— (\)  Organization  of  Churches;  (2)  Erection  of  buildings. 
III.  Sunday-schools.  IV.  Translation  and  Publication—  (1)  Tracts; 
(2)  Bibles;  (3)  Periodicals.  V.  Education —  (1)  Village  Schools;  (2) 
Academies;  (3)  Colleges;  (4)  Seminaries.  VI.  Medical  Work — VII. 
Transportation. 

SPHERE  OF  ACTION. 

Burma,  Assam,  India,  Siam,  China.  Japan,  Africa,  Sweden,  Norway, 
Germany,  Austria,  Hungary,  Russia,  Finland,  Denmark,  France, 
Spain,  Bulgaria,  Roumania,  Belgium  and  Switzerland— twenty- one 
different  countries. 

HISTORY  (In  Brief)  SINCE  1819. 

More  than  300,000  conversions,  about  100,000  of  these  within  the  last 
ten  years.  Last  Year:  Baptisms,  12,021—2,113  in  Burma;  711  in  As¬ 
sam;  2,223  among  the  Telugus ;  565  in  China;  176  in  Japan;  953  in 
Africa;  1,447  in  Sweden;  1,762  in  Germany;  1,150  in  Russia,  etc. 

RESULTS  TO-DAY. 

(1)  Over  200.000  living  Church  Members;  (2)  472  American  Mission¬ 
aries  ;  (3)  3,480  Native  preachers  and  other  workers ;  (4)  Self-Support¬ 
ing  “Native”  Churches;  (5)  1,507  Out-stations;  (6)  1,436  Mission 
Schools;  (7)  36,317  Pupils;  (8)  Some  1,500  Sunday-schools;  (9)  About 
100, 000  Scholars. 

Corresponding  Secretaries — 

Rev.  H.  C.  MABIE,  D.  D.,  Rev.  T.  S.  BARBOUR,  D.  D. 

Editorial  Secretary— Rev.  E.  F.  MERRIAM. 

Treasurer— 

ELISHA  P.  COLEMAN,  to  whom  letters  containing  money  for 
the  General  Treasury  should  be  addressed.  Drafts,  checks  and 
Postal  Money  Orders  should  be  drawn  in  his  favor. 

District  Secretaries— 

New  England  District — Rev.  W.  E.  Witter,  M.  D,,  Tremont 
Temple,  Boston,  Mass. 

New  York  District— Rev.  Chas.  L.  Rhoades,  182  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York,  N.  Y. 

Southern  District — Rev.  Frank  S.  Dobbins,  1420  Chestnut 
Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Middle  District — Rev.  T.  G.  Field,  13  Cleveland  Street,  Elyria. 
•  Ohio. 

Lake  District— Rev.  E.  W.  Lounsbury,  D.  D.,  324  Dearborn 
Street,  Chicago,  Ill. 

Northwestern  District— Rev.  Frank  Peterson,  1901  Fifteenth 
Ave.  S.,  Minneapolis.  Minn. 

Southwestern  District— Rev.  I.  N.  Clark,  D.D.,  1334  Olive 
Street,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Pacific  Coast  District-  Rev.  James  Sunderland,  D.  D.,  1048 
Hopkins  Street,  Oakland,  Cal. 

Address,  for  Headquarters 

TREMONT  TEMPLE  (Box  41),  BOSTON,  MASS. 


